The Hazards of Belief

Al Jazeera wrote:

Ahmed Abdallah, a Muslim television preacher in Egypt, has been charged with blasphemy for allegedly desecrating a copy of the Bible.

Abdallah was videotaped burning the Christian holy book in a protest in Cairo earlier this month.

The preacher's case, along with cases of alleged blasphemy committed by Egypt's Christian minority, have led some to campaign for the country's laws to be revised to ensure the regulations are not being abused by lawmakers and prosecutors.

The Journal wrote:

PAKISTAN’S BLASPHEMY LAWS may be used to punish Muslims suspected of ransacking a Hindu temple, an intriguing twist for a country where harsh laws governing religious insults are primarily used against supposed offences to Islam, not minority faiths.

The blasphemy laws, sections of which carry the death penalty or life imprisonment, have drawn renewed international scrutiny this year after a young Christian girl in Islamabad was alleged to have desecrated the Muslim holy book, the Quran. A Muslim cleric now stands accused of fabricating evidence against the girl, who has been freed on bail and whose mental capacity has been questioned.

Police officer Mohammad Hanif said Sunday the anti-Hindu attack took place Sept. 21. The government had declared that day a national holiday — a “Day of Love for the Prophet” — and called for peaceful demonstrations against an anti-Islam film made in the US that has sparked protests throughout the Muslim world. Those rallies took a violent turn in Pakistan, and more than 20 people were killed.

Hanif said dozens of Muslims led by a cleric converged on the outskirts of Karachi in a Hindu neighbourhood commonly known as Hindu Goth. The protesters attacked the Sri Krishna Ram temple, broke religious statues, tore up a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture, and beat up the temple’s caretaker, Sindha Maharaj.

“The attackers broke the statues of (Hindu deities) Radha, Hanuman, Parwati and Krishna, and took away the decorative gold ornaments,” Maharaj said. “They also stormed my home and snatched the gold jewellery of my family, my daughters.” Maharaj and other Hindu leaders turned to the police, who registered a case against the cleric and eight other Muslims. But none of the suspects had been found as of Sunday, police said.

[...]

Proxima Centauri wrote: »

National Trust puts creationism on show at new Giants causeway visitor centre

BBC wrote:

Trust amends Causeway centre 'Creationist' exhibit

The National Trust has amended a controversial exhibition at the new Giant's Causeway visitor centre.

An audio exhibit revealed how people's explanation of how the Causeway was formed developed as scientific understanding improved. Creationists believe the Causeway was formed 6,000 years ago. The vast majority of scientists say it was formed 60m years ago. The trust says it has always supported the "scientific view" of its formation.

The Causeway is a Unesco World Heritage Site and features more than 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. The £18.5m centre was opened on 3 July. The National Trust decided to carry out a review of the exhibit after the creationist element provoked what it termed a "wide and mixed response". In July, an online campaign to remove it began.

A new piece of audio, approximately 20 seconds long, now replaces the previous recording. Graham Thompson, project director for the Giant's Causeway, said the change would clear up "any misunderstanding there may have been". He said: "The National Trust only endorses the scientific explanation of the origins of the stones, yet recognises that others have alternative beliefs. "The National Trust is content that this review is complete."

Previously the audio which accompanied the exhibit said that questions had been raised about the formation of the rocks. "Young Earth Creationists believe that the earth was created some 6000 years ago," it said. "This is based on a specific interpretation of the bible and, in particular, the account of creation in the book of Genesis," it said. "Some people around the world, and specifically here in Northern Ireland, share this perspective."

The new audio now says there is a "clear understanding among scientists that the heat of the earth was the driving force behind the formation of the Giant's Causeway". It adds that the earth is "far older than had previously been thought". "All the scientific evidence points to a volcanic origin for the columns of the Giant's Causeway, around 60m years ago. "However, not everyone agrees with the scientific view. There are some people who believe - often for religious reasons - that the earth was formed more recently: thousands of years ago rather than billions."

According to myth, the Giant's Causeway was built by giant Fionn McCool.